Eulogy For A Knight
by ChaoticxLullaby
Summary: Quistis was there to bear witness. His green eyes didn't plead; didn't ask to be forgiven. He just stared out at the audience, already accepting his fate. It wasn't like him to give up so easily. QxS Rated for mature content and swearing.
1. The Beginning of the Fall

Disclaimer: **I do not own Squaresoft or Final Fantasy VIII. Just putting that out there.**  
AN: **This was just a story I've had in my mind for a few years now. It's not your typical, "They fall in love and live happily ever after!" Or even a, "They fall in love and argue 'til the end of time!" No, this is not what you could even call a happy fan fiction. **

**I hope you enjoy my story, even if it is kind of gloomy.**

* * *

The first thing that she noticed about the dimly lit room was the smell. It was harsh like bleach. The smell was almost overwhelming. Quistis lowered her head slightly, trying to her best to breathe through her mouth instead of her nose. She quietly made her way to her seat with the rest of her colleagues.

As the crowd began to trickle in, the smell became less sharp as it was diluted by the smells of perfume, cologne, and sweat. They were in the largest viewing room that the D district prison offered, and yet there weren't enough seats to go around. Many people lined up against the back wall, staring expectantly at the empty fish bowl like room that was separated from them by a thick sheet of glass. In the first row of seats, nearest to the glass encased room, sat the highest ranking members of Balamb Garden. They were more commonly referred to as the heroes of the Second Sorceress War. They were all expected to be here, to bear witness.

All but three of the young heroes wore professional, composed expressions. If you knew them personally, like she did, then you wouldn't be surprised. The dark haired commander, Squall, had no other expressions. She, the ex-instructor, was always serious when it came to official business. As for the man in the cowboy hat, he knew that this wasn't the time or place to be anything other than somber. As for the other three, it was their connection, or lack thereof in one case, to the man who had stepped into the glass room in front of them, that drove them to act the way they did. Selphie, the bouncy short haired brunette, was babbling endlessly about how the D district prison could use "a gal like [her] to liven the place up!" The blonde ex-instructor tried her best to tune out the loud girl. She couldn't, however, tune out the grinning blonde man that sat next to her. His facial tattoo was distorted by just how far his smile stretched. He kept cracking his joints and bouncing in his seat. She was sure she had caught him whispering words like, 'Justice,' and 'serves him right!'  
Quistis was unable to grasp how the typically sweet, but overly hyper man could even begin to utter such words. No matter what anybody thought, this was not a proper form of justice.

Trying, nearly in vain, to push the matter from her mind, she looked to her left, setting her eyes on the ever fragile Rinoa, who happened to be Garden's new counselor. The petite brunette was perfectly suited for the position. It was probably the way that she could make you smile, even if you didn't feel it was even possible to do so. Quistis could see that Rinoa's expression was vastly different from the other two. In the other woman's large, brown eyes terror could easily be found. Quistis understood the emotion instantly, and echoed it internally.

That's right; Ice Queen Trepe could feel things like terror, hurt, and anxiety. She was just better at hiding it than some people. In fact, as she turned her sapphire gaze from the woman next to her, to the dark blonde man in the room before her, she began to feel something close to panic. There was very little she could do to quell the growing anxiety that had bloomed in her chest.

Emerald met sapphire for a brief moment before that ever wild gaze fell upon the others surrounding her. He wore a mask, same as she did. For all the viewers could tell, he was just passing them by on a street, not the least bit interested in what was going on around him.  
Two guards stood at either side of him, their faces colored with contempt.

Only Seifer Almasy could stand in the midst of people that openly hated him and act so casual. It was probably because he was used to it. More than he had ever been used to being praised or loved.

He looked different, although he was the same. His hair was a little shaggier, his skin was darker, and his arms were coated in mostly healed scars, most of which seemed new. To Quistis, they did anyways. He had been in her class everyday for a year. He had even been in her face many times, and she couldn't remember the thick gashes along his arms. Those weren't the markings of one attempting to commit suicide. They were the marks of a man who had sustained abuse to protect his dark witch; his vicious sorceress. A month or so back, he had worn those wounds proudly. They were medals of honor and valor. Seifer Almasy had risked life and limb to keep her whole and safe.

Seeing the wounds, Quistis felt sick. This was all so fucked up. It was getting to the point where she felt like screaming. Seifer was far from perfect, but he wasn't evil. She knew he wasn't capable of the deeds that were committed through his body. Why couldn't anybody else see it?  
She glanced back at Rinoa. Maybe others could see it, but were afraid to speak up for fear of hurting another. Her eyes fell accusingly upon Squall. Was there no end to his rivalry? Did he have to see Seifer put into a grave before he could stop?

Forcing her gaze back to the man in loose prison garb, she felt herself trembling as she recalled the trial.

* * *

**Five weeks earlier.-**

_Calmly, Quistis sat in the witness' chair. She knew very well how much rested on her testimony and she planned to be honest and to make sure that she was immaculately neat in giving her brutal answers. There was no way she could force-feed this audience the horrors of war straight on. She had to find an eloquent way to word things._

The man representing the Galbadian Garden looked at her, a deceptively friendly smile on his face. He was a portly man whose dark hair had begun receding long ago, by the looks of things. In a different setting, Quistis could imagine him being a grandfather.

"Now, ma'am, can you tell the jury what kind of student Mr. Almasy was?" his voice was deep, and his words steady. She clenched her teeth as she tried her best to remain calm.

"Seifer was like most teenage boys. He picked on other students. He rebelled against authority. The only difference between him and the other students is that they got over their rebellion and settled into the military lifestyle. I don't believe that Almasy was suited for a life in any form of military."

The Galbadian lawyer nodded, as though he was actually listening to her. He was already calculating his next smear tactic.

"But isn't it true that he often would taunt other students mercilessly?"

"Mercilessly?" she almost laughed. "He didn't taunt everybody. And it wasn't 'mercilessly.' I wouldn't call it that anyways. He only taunted the people he thought could take it. He took it pretty far, but so did they. He only went head to head with students that were as resilient as he." Her tone came out bored.

The man sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't recall asking who he taunted, Miss."

"No, you didn't. In order to give you a complete, unbiased answer, I had to give that information. Had he been picking on those who were weaker, then I think that would reflect badly on him. That wasn't the case." Her sharp eyes narrowed as the man continued to stare at her. If he expected her to buckle, he was way off.

"Well, since I didn't ask for that information, I would like to ask the judge to strike it from the records." He retorted evenly.

The judge seemed to be mulling over the pros and cons to doing what the man had asked. He glanced over to Quistis and sighed.

"Mr. Lanor, I think the context does warrant her response. I'll allow it. State your next question for the witness."

Mr. Lanor, as she now knew him to be, seemed less than pleased with this outcome.

"Isn't it true that Seifer Almasy escaped from detention to board a train heading towards Timber, which led to him being united with his dark mistress?" The lawyer defending Seifer stood immediately and voiced his objection. The judge gave Lanor a stern look.

"We haven't convicted him yet. It's undeniable that he was by her side, but we're trying to find out if it was willingly. So please word your questions accordingly."

Lanor gave the jury an apologetic smile and Quistis felt herself dislike the man further. He was playing to their favor.

"Of course, my mistake. My question still stands, Ms. Trepe, minus the allegation." Quistis' lip turned upward in disgust.

"He did leave detention before he was given permission to board a train to Timber. I accompanied him to ensure that no harm would befall him."

"Accompanied him? That makes it sound as though you went willingly." His tone was gentle, as though he really wanted her to correct herself. Quistis was no fool. He just wanted to discredit her in front of the jury.

"I chased after him. I'm afraid to say that I was unable to catch up to him before he had boarded the train. I couldn't very well snatch him up and dive from a moving train with him in hand." Quickly, she was becoming agitated.

"Yes, yes I see." He paced in front of his desk. "Moving on then. When you both arrived in Timber, you made straight for the communication tower. Once there... well, I believe you recall what happened. You were there, after all." He gave a smile that absolutely dripped mockery. "What I want to know is why he did it. I'm assuming it was a direct order issued by, at the time, Sorceress Edea."

Quistis sighed again.

"No. What drove him there was his desire for glory and to protect an old lover. It was a bad choice, but not one that warrants what you people are calling for." Crossing her arms over her chest, she leveled an icy stare upon Lanor.

"What about the choices he made to stand against yourself and your companions? That was not driven by an old flame, was it? Considering he tried to sacrifice said flame to a sorceress." Quistis wanted to pull her hair and scream at the prying man.

"You found Edea guiltless of the things she did while under the Sorceress Ultimecia's persuasion. I believe him to be just as guiltless. He was just easily preyed upon due to his dreams of grandeur and his desire to be a knight."

"Well, I'm afraid that I can't believe that. Mrs. Edea Kramer was a completely different person under the Sorceress' spell. Mr. Almasy, on the other hand, exhibited the same exact demeanor we've come to expect from him." Quistis found herself at a loss.

"Yes, but—"she began but was cut off by Lanor.

"But what, miss?" he paused for half a second, but began quickly as it became obvious that she was going to give an answer. "He acted the same, did he not?"

"He did." Quistis seethed. "But how do you know that isn't what she wante-"again, she was cut short.

"No further questions, your honor." He quickly muttered, sounding pleased. The jury cast weary eyes upon the former instructor, seeming to already have formed their decision. Not even Edea's testimony could save Seifer from the words that still rang in her ears.

* * *

Current Time-

**'Guilty.' **It was as though the words were being said again.

* * *

AN: **This is basically a multiple chapter one shot. I probably only have one or two more chapters to go.**

**Review if you want. =) I always appreciate kind comments and constructive critism.  
**


	2. A Slow Descent

**A/N: This story is seriously depressing me. haha I'm sorry I've taken so long to update. I think I'm going to start the next chapter soon (as in right now). I meant this series to be so much shorter. The story has kind of taken on a life of it's own though. I honestly don't know how happy I am with this chapter, so I'll let you, the readers, be the judges. =) I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Uncrossing then re-crossing her long, high heel clad legs; Quistis pushed the offensive word from her mind.  
The stony faced blonde redirected her thoughts to the events that followed the verdict.

* * *

_Seifer had seemed unsurprised by the outcome. So she was right; he **had** been expecting this all along. Quistis, on the other hand, was unable to keep the look of complete horror from her face. How could they consider him guilty of the same things they had found Edea innocent of? Her expression turned to one of outrage. Standing up, she slammed her palm against the thin bar that separated the crowd of observers from the official portion of the court room.  
The judge gave her a warning glance as he excused himself to deliberate over which punishment to hand down to the convicted._

_Seifer turned his empty gaze to his former instructor, carefully masking his surprise at her response. He gave a hollow attempt to recreate his trademark smirk. It was for her benefit, which wasn't something he would normally have cared about. Today wasn't a normal occasion.  
Quistis had been one of a small handful to actually take the stand in his defense. Again, normally, he would have hated to necessity of any kind of assistance. He still hated it to an extent, but this situation was out of his hands. That very fact pissed him off more than he could ever begin to verbalize. It also left him feeling helpless. He wanted to sneer at himself, remind him that only that only weaklings should feel such emotions. He couldn't manage it.  
Seifer Almasy was no god, despite all of the dark queen's whisperings. He was still able to feel things that any mortal man could.  
Quistis' expression lost its edge as she observed him. It felt wrong to watch the typically prideful man act this way. There was no trace of his former ferocity in his countenance. Not even a hint of the boastfulness that she had come to expect from him. He wasn't a broken man, but he was pretty damn close.  
Sneering, she leaned down, her face very close to his. "I don't know what the fuck it is that has you acting this way, but I'm not a fan of it." She hissed the words at him.  
Seifer sighed, rolling his eyes half-heartedly.  
_

_"Yeah, well I don't know when you took up swearin' like a sailor, but I **am** a fan of it." She was unhappy to find that even his words held little of their old spark. Pressing her palm to her forehead, she sat back down, her eyes closed in frustration.  
_

_"Please, Seifer, don't change the subject." She glared up at him. "This isn't something you can just blow off, like detention." Quistis could remember, like it was yesterday, watching over detention classes that were always missing one repeat offender. No matter how many detentions she assigned, he almost never showed up. He had once tried to claim immunity because of his Disciplinary Committee title. That had not stood very well with her.  
_

_Frowning slightly, he leaned closer to her, his eyes tinged with something very close to anger. "You act like I don't fuckin' know that." He rushed to continue when he saw that she was about to retort with some kind of sassy come back. "I can't do shit about this, Trepe. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit here and sulk about it like Puberty Boy would."  
_

_"Hm. Funny. I thought that you were sulking. Basically." Quistis frowned heavily, crossing her arms over her chest.  
_

_"Hah hah, Instructor. To think, after all these years of believing you were just some serious, stuck up bitch I find out that you have a sense of humor. Even if it is drier than that black hole you call a vagina." His words actually had bite to them. Quistis felt strangely perverse for finding comfort in that fact. "I'm not sulking. I'm not fighting either. If I thought I had any kind of chance, and trust me, I mean **any**, I would be raising all kinds of hell." He jerked his thumb in the direction of the jury. "But most folks have a pretty biased opinion of me. Ya know, seeing as I've probably killed at least one member of their family; or at least a friend. Dunno if you know this or not, but I was kind of a bastard during the war." There was a faint sadness to his joke.  
_

_She grit her teeth and cast the jury a withering glance. "Edea did just as much as you did. If I understand things correctly, she may have even done more." Her voice grew sad as she whispered, "Had the sorceress come to you in any other form…" She chanced a glance at him, and found a strange mixture of anger and despair in his emerald eyes. "None of this would have happened." Quistis could never claim to be an expert on Seifer, but she knew this to be the truth.  
_

_"Maybe. Doesn't matter though. If it wasn't me, it woulda been somebody else." He was quiet, his eyes dark. There was something about his expression that made her sure that he was reliving some terrible memory.  
_

_"You're probably right." She hesitated a moment before tentatively reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. I think that any of us would have made the same choice." He almost instantly tensed under her touch.  
_

_"I don't believe you." His words came out in a harsh whisper. "You all had purposes. I was the only one of us without any kind of ties."  
_

_"That isn't true." She began to pull her hand away before he caught her by the wrist.  
_

_"I don't have time for your bullshit, Trepe. You had your precious teaching career. Everybody else was SeeD and had bigger an' better things to be doin'. I didn't have shit." Quistis balled her fist and seriously considered punching him in the jaw with her free hand. She also toyed with the idea of leaving so that she could cry away, from his judgmental eyes.  
_

_"I was already relieved of my duties as an instructor by the ball; before you even ran off to Timber." With that admittance, she yanked her hand from his grasp. "You weren't the only one without any real purpose, Seifer." She adverted her gaze as the judge entered the room.  
Seifer stared at her, an unreadable look distorting his features slightly._

_The judge announced, though Quistis tried her best to ignore it, the decided upon sentence. Somehow, despite her best efforts, she managed to catch the most important part of the judge's little spiel.  
_

_"He shall be put to death by lethal injection. God have mercy on your soul, young man." With that, he stood and walked away.  
Quistis was unable to keep the panic from rising in her chest. "Death?" her words were barely audible.  
_

_Seifer had turned away from him, so she was unable to see how this news had affected him. Before she could utter a word to him, the guards were pulling him to a standing position. Quistis rose again, wanting to stop this. No matter what Seifer had said or done to her in the past, this was all too much.  
He turned his head, a bitter smile twisting his lips in an unattractive way. "There is nothing they can do that I have not already done to myself." With that, he was ushered off to a holding cell to await transportation to the D-district prison.  
_

_She stared after him, horrified. Unshed tears began to sting her eyes._

* * *

Quistis bit her lower lip roughly, hating herself for feeling, once again, on the verge of tears. The part of this that upset her the most was the way that it felt like he was just giving up. He was going down without a fight. He didn't even have the decency to be scared or upset.

She dug her fingers into her palms, painfully. It was all she could do to keep from screaming. There was something, and she couldn't put her finger on exactly what, she was about to lose. It wasn't just Seifer. No, it was something more; something that was more important than her career. Even more important than all of her achievements.

Zell glanced over at Quistis, his eyes showing his concern. "Quisty? What's wrong?"  
She turned her teary gaze to him. "It's nothing, Zell. I'm okay." It was immensely hard for her to utter those lies to such a loyal friend. By the look on his face, he didn't believe her, but he didn't attempt to pry. Either he was afraid of what she would say, or he sensed that he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting an honest answer out of her.

When she turned back in her seat, she found a piercing emerald gaze focused on her. The force of the look alone was enough to knock the breath right out of her. Two fat tears slid down either cheek. She was no longer able to hold back the tears, though she was at least still capable of crying silently.

Seifer's face softened. He had given the entire crowd a once over, finding nothing but resentment and pity. That was until he looked to his ex instructor.  
No. She was more than that. He didn't know if he could call her friend, but he sure as hell knew that she was the closest thing he had to comfort in his last weeks on this planet. As he sat down on the large T shaped medical bed, he found himself actually regretting this for the first time since he had been formally charged.

It had been easy to accept his fate when he thought that his death would only impact people in a positive way. Looking at Quistis, it was impossible to see how he was affecting her positively. He could almost swear that he could see tiny tendrils of blood seeping from where her nails were forced into the tender skin of her palms.  
He couldn't stop himself from wishing that she had just stayed home. Honestly, he didn't need this right now. How was he supposed to die peacefully knowing that he was leaving behind the only person lonelier than himself? Closing his eyes, he muttered under his breath.

"I'm sorry, Quis."


	3. What It's Like to Hit Rock Bottom

**A/N: Thank you guys for your support. =D I really hope that I don't let you guys down. I'm also hoping that you like what direction I've decided to take, and that I'm staying pretty true to the characters.**

Review if you want. =)

* * *

Quistis hastily wiped away her tears. She was teetering dangerously on the edge, close to losing what little control she had left.  
"Did he just say 'Syracuse'?" Zell muttered, squinting at the other blonde man. "Why would he say that?"  
The innocent words were enough to undo her. A quiet sob was the only prelude to the tall woman abruptly leaving the room.

Seifer looked up, watching her walking away, unable to ignore the look of complete agony on her face. He had known that this was hard for her to swallow, but why was she this upset over him? As far back as he could remember he had been the cause of most of her problems. Well, maybe not most, but a fair few of them. Point being that he couldn't recall the last time he had actually made her smile.

Despite his best efforts, he was unable to deny that he missed her presence. Even though it made things a little bit tougher on his end, he at least liked the thought of having more than just Raj and Fuu wanting him alive. Exhaling, he leaned back, allowing the man with gloved hands to strap him into the strange bed.

* * *

Quistis stared into the basin of the sink, attempting to calm herself. Taking a deep breath, she glared up into her own reflection. She had already made her decision. All that was left was actually carrying it out.

"I've got nothing left to lose, right?" Her words were brutally fierce. She had to convince herself; there could be no doubt.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself away from the sink, leaving the bathroom with quick and steady steps.

Her mind was already planning out every last detail, laying out a clear and nearly flawless plan. There were many things that could go wrong. That was something that she would worry about when she came to it.

The D-district prison was one of the best guarded facilities in all of Gaia. It was a damn good thing that Quistis was one of the best SeeD that existed. Never mind that she didn't have her whip or even a single spell equipped. It was a mandatory procedure to ensure that none would attempt what she was about to do.

Fortunately for her, the D-district prison, along with the rest of the world, put little store by the abilities of mages. It was probably due to the rarity of them these days.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to decide the best spell to use.

"Shockwave Pulsar or Ultra Waves?" Closing her eyes, she prepared herself to unleash her own version of hell upon the only thing separating her from her goal: one thick wall.

* * *

Seifer closed his eyes, able to hear the gloved man picking out three different vials. First, he would be given an anesthetic, quickly followed by a fluid that would paralyze him. Lastly, he would be injected with the cocktail of poisons that would send him off to Hyne. God had no need of a man such as him, but Hyne would welcome him with open arms.

His thoughts were cut short by a distant rumbling that grew stronger by the second. His eyes widened. That sound was very familiar. The men nearest the wall that separated the room from the hallway dropped to his knees, covering his ears.

"Fuck, Trepe… Tell me you didn't." he whispered at himself in complete disbelief. The machines nearest the wall started to beep erratically before fizzling out. Next, the wall crumbled violently, sending large chunks flying all over. A few of the large pieces grazed over his leg and head leaving thin trails of blood in their wake.

He grit his teeth, almost unable to comprehend what was going on. He was only vaguely aware of the thick plate of glass shattering and spraying out toward the crowd. Before he could fully grasp the level of devastation and chaos that had been so carefully caused by one little blue mage, he was being released from his restraints and tugged from the table. He hit the ground running, though he knew deep in his heart that this was all completely futile.

Behind him, he swore he could hear Squall shouting commands. It was only a matter of time before they were both gunned down. The worst part of it was that the people who would claim the life of his rescuer were her very own friends.

"Quistis, I don't know what the fuck is goin' on in that pretty lil' head of yours, but this isn't gonna end well… for either of us." His words had obviously fallen on deaf ears, because the only answer he received was her tightening her already vice-like grip on his wrist.

There was definitely shouting behind them now. She made a quick left, which nearly sent Seifer crashing into the wall.

"Watch it, you stupid bitch!" He grumbled at her.

Quistis continued to ignore him and made another quick left before slamming her fist into a button that operated the nearest elevator. Seifer slowed to a stop, thinking they were about to board the fast approaching compartment. He was dead wrong. He was rewarded for his assumption by being jerked back into an all out sprint.

Down two more hallways, a hard right, another left then they stopped at a door labeled "Maintenance" that was next to a button operated chute of some kind.

Taking a deep breath, Quistis released his arm. Yelling and running could be heard from most sides of the prison, and she knew there was very little time left for them.

"Get ready, Almasy. This isn't going to be pleasant, but it's our only way out." Pressing the button, the chute opened and emitted a sickening smell.

"We're going down the garbage chute? You gotta be shittin' me, Trepe."

Her steely gaze was enough to assure him that she was not. "I'll go first. I want you in here the second after I'm in."

He frowned heavily at her. "I don't think so, Instructor. I had a ticket to a painless death back there. I'm not fuckin' that up. I ain't gettin' gunned down like some kinda animal."

Quistis rolled her eyes before forcibly grabbing his wrist and climbing into the chute. "You're coming with me, Almasy. I didn't go through all of this just to have you bitch out at the last minute. **Now** **get the fuck in here**."  
There was something about the ferocity of her voice and the look in her eyes that made it impossible for him argue. Growling resentfully, he entered the chute, effectively sending them both sliding down through all the muck and left over debris.

A few short moments after they had entered the filthy metal tubing, they were both crashing into each other and a mound of rotting garbage.

Quistis pulled herself shakily to her feet, glancing over at him.  
"Good news, Almasy. That wasn't the worst part of this. This is the part where we sit in piles of refuse and wait for most of the security to exit the tower."

Seifer gawked at her in disbelief. "And what the fuck makes you so sure they won't come lookin' for us here?" He was quickly moving from disbelief to anger. Quistis turned away from him, slowly making her way to the center of the vast room. If she remembered correctly, in her copy of 'A Look into D District Prison', they were supposed to empty the garbage storage daily. When that happened, they would have their chance.

Seifer reached out, gripping her shoulder roughly. "I've had about enough of you ignoring me you stupid Ice bitch."

Quistis rolled her eyes. "Really? Well I have had enough of you calling me stupid." Jerking away from his grasp, she crossed her arms over her chest. "For one, the garbage chutes are only supposed to be authorized to accept refuse at certain times in the day. Lucky for us, they weren't supposed to be opening for another hour. That one was obviously malfunctioning. I was going to go through the maintenance room and disable the power. It was a less desirable choice, considering anybody could have turned the power back on. It would have bought us time, but I can't be sure how much." She glanced around the room, forcing herself, not for the first time that day, to breathe through her mouth. "Another up side to this option is that they don't have a reason to have any camera's in this room. I'm mostly sure that my ultra waves knocked most every electrical thing in the prison out of working order. It won't last, but it's bought us enough time to have avoided being recorded in the hallways."  
Seifer frowned. "You think it was your wave things that fucked up the garbage thing?" Quistis looked up at him in slight surprise.

"The thought **had** crossed my mind, but I can't be sure." She chewed at her lower lip, looking up at him. "There's only one thing I'm worried about. It was a factor I thought about before making my decision. I'm really hoping I guessed right…"

"What the hell are you goin' on about now?" he grumbled, sitting down on a mostly filthy waded up sheet.

"Rinoa. If she wanted to, she could find us. She knows enough about her powers to use minor telepathy. It's still weak, according to Matron, but if she had a strong enough connection to the people she's trying to communicate with, it's possible. If she can link with our minds, she had a pretty good chance of finding us." She refused to make eye contact with Seifer as she continued. "I'm banking on her kind nature. Even though what I did was wrong, she won't want us harmed."

Seifer was unsure how he was supposed to deal with that. "You're hoping, fucking **hoping**, that she won't kill us just because she and I had some summer thing a while back? She sure as fuck wouldn't have a reason to care about your life. Nah, I bet she considers you competition. Doubt she wants to lose Commander Puberty to a golden haired Amazon like you."  
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Fuck you, Almasy. I don't want him like that. Not anymore, at least." The last bit was tacked on when she caught the disbelief that was clearly present on his face. "I think I did when we were younger. Despite your thoughts otherwise, I'm no fool. I wouldn't swoon over some boy that obviously had no interest in me."

Seifer chuckled darkly. "If you say so."

"I've seriously had enough of your bullshit, Seifer! What I have or haven't felt for somebody is my business. Now shut the fuck up and focus whatever energy you have left on our escape. We're going to need to run. You'll need every last ounce of whatever fight you have left."

She could feel his eyes on her, almost positive that she could actually **feel **waves of contempt emanating from where he stood.

"So what's the deal with the heels? And it's gonna be pretty hard to blend in anywhere with that SeeD outfit. I get you had to wear it while representing Garden and all that, but if you were just planning on bustin' me out, it was a poor wardrobe choice."

Quistis laughed bitterly. "It was a last minute decision that I'm starting to regret." She was seriously hoping to avoid this line of questioning. If he kept on this path, they would eventually arrive at a question she would not be able to answer. He was fidgeting atop his mound of filth; she could hear him.

"Why did you come? I mean, really." His tone was steady and lacked all cockyness.

"I guess I just wanted you to know that not everybody in that room wanted you gone." Shrugging, she reached down to her ankle, tugging at the buckle on her annoying, but attractive strappy heels. Seifer's words had reminded her of the idiotic things. After today, she would have no use for them. He sat in silence, watching her carefully as she tossed them in among the rest of the garbage.

"But why do you even want me around?" He wanted to ask why she had bothered shedding tears over him, but couldn't find a way to ask it without sounding melodramatic. Quistis visibly stiffened at his question.

"Because, I know that it wasn't your choice. You can be a real jerk, but you were never a murderer." Clutching her fists, she nearly re-opened her wounds from earlier, she whispered, "And... you're like me. You're the only one I can relate to. We're different, but we're also the same. Neither of us are very good at dealing with people. We can't stand to be wrong. Far as I can tell, neither of us have made great strides in the romance department." Sighing, she sat down, still facing away from him. "When we were little, we were both big mouthed, bossy daydreamers. We've always been the most alike." She glanced back at him. "And the most different."

Folding his hands over his knees, Seifer stared her down. "You're nothing like me, Trepe. You were always better. Though I'd like to argue that I've at least lost my virginity. Got you beat there." He grinned widely when he caught sight of her sapphire eyes widening in shock. "Don't act so surpised, Trepe. You're gonna hurt my feelings." He could hear her snort as she turned her back on him once more.

"I'm not better than you, by the way. I just tried harder. You were just as capable."

Seifer couldn't stand anymore of this seriousness. "So, you not gonna dispute the whole, 'Ice Queen Trepe is a virgin' theory?"

His answer came in the form of a quickly recovered high heeled shoe.


End file.
